Al Green - Lay It Down
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Free Music Notes for Lay It Down
Free Music Review: A Little Al Green Is All You Need
Hit: 5 Stars
Now this is definately one of those concepts that may invite the standard issue "this is REAL music" kind of reviews. It appears everything is sort of level headed on that front so far in that department. But that isn't my point. I have a friend in California. We talk about music all the time and this is an album and an artist we come to frequenty.I've reviewed Al Green here before and will do so again,hopefully many times. So here I am going to put my two cents on this. Al Green is one of those people whose voice is so elastic and expressive that it actually merrits it's own sound. So much so that even though the Dap Kings as opposed to the HI rhythm section are the musicians on this.....the song,as it were remains the same.?uestlove,producer of this album understood that and a lot more going into this project because he's not only a fan of Al's but also understands the way in which he adapts his vocals into the band who are playing with him.Now I don't know for sure but on the title track alone I get the impression that Al is definately mic'd up,meaning that he's not being fed into the console. It's a technique he used a lot on his classic 70's recordings. But either way around it the appeal of this album is easy to think about for the most part but kind of hard for me to put into words. It just......has the Al Green sound. Only the most talented ones have it. James Brown had a "sound".Prince has a "sound" and...so does Al. With him....all the instrumentalists just fall into place EXACTLY where they should. Doesn't sound too deliberately natural,isn't trying to be ultra edgy. But Al's emotional,reflective vocal licks in place with the other musicians always know where they belong in each song. And big time kudos to ?uestlove for realizing that. After all updating Al with heavy modern techno/hip-hop considerations would just be a tremendous musical imbalance on every front. And besides when you hear songs like "I'm Wild About You","Standing In The Rain" and the wonderful "You've Got The Love I Need" those horns,basslines,organ and rhythm will flow right through you so well you'll be as much involved in the whole musical experience as Al is. True this album is not about making hits but rather presenting Al Green as a person with a distinctive "sweet funk" sound rather than a formula. Does he stick to it like glue the way..(hey sorry I like him too) Van Morrison does now and again?Not on your LIFE! But Al,?uestlove,The Dap Kings,John Legend,Anthony Hamilton and everyone involved in this album bring out it's best qualities on all fronts.Free Music Review: Exquisite, soulful, magical stuff.
Hit: 5 Stars
Al Green drafted in some soulful stars de jour for this project in the shape of Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae.
He also brought in hip-hop luminaries Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, from Philadelphia's the Roots, and James Poyser, another big name from Philly.
"With a cherry-picked backing band, which includes the Dap Kings horns (who feature on Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black"), the duo capture Green's familiar laid-back, orchestral groove, while also dropping hints towards "urban" modernism".- Andrew Perry
This should not lead you to think that this is an undignified musical hip transplant for the old master.
The rhythms, the jazzy chord progressions, the aching falsetto and the love-infused subject matter of these songs have much in common with the stellar tracks Green cut in the first half of the Seventies.
Inevitably, though, the songwriting itself can't match the quality of the classics now etched in our memory.
But this is still a fine product from a singer whose capacity to dazzle has barely waned in 40 years.
These arrive most noticeably via a trio of guest vocalists, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, who each wisely choose to complement, rather than attempt to outgun, their host.
Conceived as a way of uniting Green with a new generation of soul and R&B singers, "Lay It Down" might have been an embarrassing attempt to modernise an old star. Instead, the producer Ahmir Thompson of the hip-hop band the Roots has gone the other way.
The younger musicians have to fit in with Green's laid-back, slow-burning sound, in contrast to the excessive slickness of modern R&B. And while Corinne Bailey Rae sings with jazzy sophistication on Take Your Time and Anthony Hamilton shows how classic R&B can be updated on "You've Got the Love I Need", it's Al Green's voice, so full of humour and joy, that stands out.
The album proves that great soul music need not come at the cost of life itself.
Green's effortless yet ever-astonishing vocal flexings are, again, wrapped around some fabulous co-written songs.
The title track, "No One Like You", and the nimble "Just For Me" are exquisitely seductive.
On "What More Do You Want from Me", meanwhile, Green makes romantic desperation sound like a rather alluring condition.
"Now 62, Green has musical powers that still verge on the magical".
Whatever the commercial outcome, we have a five-star Al Green album on our hands.
Free Music Review: Al's Best Album in Years - 4 ½ Stars
Hit: 5 Stars
Al Green has definitely been on a row in recent years, returning to his soulful roots. I CAN'T STOP was widely anticipated by Green fans who were happy just to hear Al Green return to his R&B roots after a long stint singing merely gospel music. I CAN'T STOP wasn't a complete triumph, but it was good starting place. What might've been even more surprising was the fact that after 2003's Grammy-nominated I CAN'T STOP, Rev. Green went on to release 2005's EVERYTHING'S OK, again reunited with producer Willie Mitchell. While EVERYTHING'S OK felt a bit more authentic than I CAN'T STOP, hardcore Green fans couldn't help but feel that Green needed something more to make an authentic return to soul. While the contemporary R&B stylings by such modern producers as Bryan-Michael Cox or even the old school songwriting by Tank or Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith would've corrupted Green's authenticity, it was certainly agreed that Green should try something new to give him back his seamless southern-soul sound. That person turned out to surprisingly be Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson from the Roots.
?uestlove could've styled Green in Roots laden production with samples and ultimately perplexing production work, but rather than be self-indulgent, ?uestlove produces perhaps the best soul album of the decade, and certainly Green's best album of his trio of modern albums. LAY IT DOWN is perfect in nearly every way. Not only is Green top-notch, so is the production, as well as collaborators Anthony Hamilton, Corinne Bailey Rae, and John Legend. And don't think that the "sound" of classic Al Green albums are replaced - they aren't. ?uestlove merely updates Green and still utilizes the live settings that made him so popular on tracks such as "Love and Happiness" or the ubiquitous "Let's Stay Together".
I won't bore you praising every track, as every track here is nearly 100%, honestly, But I'll leave you with a top five, something I usually don't do.
1. Lay It Down (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
2. Take Your Time (feat. Corinne Bailey Rae)
3. Just Me
4. Too Much
5. You Got That Luv I Need (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
4 ½ stars Al.
Free Music Review: Al Green brings 70s soul back effortlessly!
Hit: 5 Stars
Al Green is a singer extraordinaire and, though I was not living when he was in his heyday, I'm glad he released "Lay it Down", because it sounds a lot like his classics such as "Love and Happiness" and "Let's Stay Together." "Lay it Down" has that classic 1970s feel; I can't believe he pulled this off so effectively. I say this because he sounds exactly how he did in the 60s and 70s! It's simply a wonderful listening experience, namely for the older crowd. It's hard to believe this album was released in 2008, but it was, and it is easily one of the best albums of '08.
Some of music's most talented artists join Green on this album. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae assisting Green on this album. Each artist did a stupendous job and added flavor to the album. The song which features Corrine Bailey Rae, "Take Your Time" is simply magical. She is the only female guest appearance, and because of that, this track stands out. She and Green sound beautiful coupled together. "Take Your Time" is one of this album's finest moments. When I first heard the title track, I immediately added it to my iPod because I knew I wanted to hear it again and again. The title track truly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Al Green has never sounded better. Also, the lyrics are clever and the bass is amazing! "No One Like You" is another standout with great bass. Some would argue that many of these songs sound the same, especially production-wise. For example, "No One Like You" sounds like "Stay With Me" (By the Sea.) Normally I have a problem with songs sounding the same as far as production, but, for some reason, it's alright on this album, maybe because it's such a fine work collectively.
You all need to add this album to your collection. I see why Al Green was so popular in the 60s and 70s because his music is nothing but the truth! Relax, take a load off, and let the mellow sounds of Al Green take you away! 5 shining stars!
Mikeisha's Top 5
1. "Lay it Down"
2. "Take Your Time"
3. "No One Like You"
4. "Just for Me"
5. "Too Much"
Free Music Review: Bravo Mr Green, excellent album
Hit: 5 Stars
I can almost hear the discussions that went on between James Poyser, ?uestlove and Al Green before the first song was recorded. The debates about whether they should attempt to update Al's sound or go really retro. I'm sure we've all debated what Marvin Gaye would sound like if he was still alive? I think Al Green gives an interesting perspective on that question. If his latest CD is anything to go by, then I think the answer would be `exactly the way he did when he was alive and thank God for that'
That is what Al Green does on his latest album, he does the music he's most famous for, no reinventions, evolutions or experimentations. This is Al Green as my folks would remember. I'm not a scholar of his music but I've felt the impact of his music through hip-hop. I found this to be a brilliant introduction to the good reverend.
Words cannot describe how great this album is, I'm scratching my head wondering whether he was always this good or if this is special even by his own standards. This is by some distance my favourite album of the year (in any genre)
He is no magician with the pen and a close inspection of some of the lyrics reveals many shortcomings. `Lay It Down' is a prime example of what I'm referring to. Al Green's trump card is his butter smooth delivery (to borrow from my genre of choice, hip-hop) and his voice which is reminiscent of Mr. Biggs from the Isley brothers. He's a child of soul and every track on the album is drenched in it.
Credit also has to go to his production team whose interpretation of Al Green sound is no interpretation at all but the real thing. I'll be honest when ?uestlove started talking about making an album with Al Green 2 years ago I was skeptical. I thought the album would never see the light of day or would end up like his interpretation of Pharrell's "In My Mind".
Enlisting the assistance of Anthony Hamilton (who is probably the only artist who can even come close to Al), Corrine Bailey Rae and John Legend was also a master stroke.
Bravo Mr Green, excellent album